Poorest Indian community find hope in 'a handful of rice'

The practice has allowed the church to help provide for the needs of others and to send out missionaries worldwide despite dire economic circumstances.

Our take: "A handful of rice" is the practice of setting aside a small amount of rice each time a meal is cooked, and doing so has revolutionized the way people in Mizoram, once of India's poorest villages, live and eat. The residents of the tiny, Christian community send their rice to the local church where it is sold to generate income to support the people. The practice has allowed the church to help provide for the needs of others and to send out missionaries worldwide despite dire economic circumstances.

One of the poorest areas of India boasts a thriving Christian community that not only supports itself financially, but has also managed to send out hundreds of missionaries.

Behind their success is a simple practice called "a handful of rice."

Lalua lives in a tiny, remote village in Mizoram. Her family sustains on a meager income of less than $1 a day.

Despite abject poverty, simple women like Lalua are spearheading a revolution that's sweeping the world of missions.

"Buhfai tham" is a practice where each Mizo family puts aside a handful of rice every time they cook a meal. Later, they gather it and offer it to the church.